Yawata Steel Works dam collapse
 File:Japanese drown by hundreds in bad dam-break | |
| Date | 1 May 1916 |
|---|---|
| Location | Yahata, Fukuoka, Japan |
| Deaths | 100s |
Yawata Steel Works dam collapse occurred on May 1, 1916 in Yahata, Fukuoka when the Great Dam collapsed killing hundreds and crushing thousands of homes.
Background
[edit]By 1912, 80% of Japan's pig iron production was from Yawata Steel Works.[1] An integrated mill with coke, iron, and steel facilities, Yahata was also responsible at this time for 80-90% of Japan's steel output.[2][3] Energy efficiency was greatly improved by the conversion from steam to electricity as a power source, resulting in a drop in consumption of coal per ton of steel produced from four tons in 1920 to 1.58 in 1933.[2] Much of the iron ore was from China and Korea.[3] To supply the energy to the Steelworks a large dam was created.
The factories covered many acres and a town sprang up nearby, Yahata, Fukuoka to supply the workers.[4]
Dam break
[edit]On May 1, 1916, American media reported that the "Great Dam" at the Yawata Steel Works had collapsed and completely submerged a section of the manufacturing city. Initial reports stated that hundreds of people were killed and thousands made homeless. [4] The army was sent in to help with the recovery.[4] [5]
See also
[edit]- Kawachi Dam finished 1927
- Aburagi Dam finished 1971
Bibliography
[edit]Notes
- ^ Inkster 2001, p. 66.
- ^ a b Iida 2012, pp. 455 ff.
- ^ a b Shimizu 2010, pp. 132–5.
- ^ a b c Honolulu Star-Bulletin, May 1, 1916, p. 1.
- ^ The Japan Chronicle 1916, p. 716.
References
- "Japanese drown by hundreds in bad dam-break". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii: Joseph B. Atherton. 1916. pp. 1–16. ISSN 2326-1137. OCLC 8807359. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- Iida, Ken'ichi (June 15, 2012). "The Iron and Steel Industry" (PDF). Japan External Trade Organization. pp. 455 ff. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 12, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- Inkster, Ian (2001). Japanese Industrialisation: Historical and Cultural Perspectives. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415244442. - Total pages: 324
- The Japan Chronicle (1916). "Dam Burst". Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- Shimizu, Norikazu (2010). "The Establishment of the State-Owned Yahata Steel Works (1)" (PDF). Journal of Business Economics. 16 (2). Kyushu International University: 132–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 26, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2020.